Chelsea overcame Hull City 2-0 but it was the tactical changes by Antonio Conte that were the real story of the game.
Chelsea got their first win in four games with a 2-0 victory over Hull City at the KCOM Stadium. Goals from Willian and Diego Costa secured the win, but it was Antonio Conte’s tactical changes that were the real story.
Conte reverted to his preferred formation of a three-man defense in search of a solution to his previously flawed lineup. The changes worked, to a point, and at least now give Conte a base to start tweaking things from.
Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill were the three centre-backs. Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso played as the wing backs. N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic occupied central midfield.
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Whilst Willian and Eden Hazard took up central attacking positions behind Costa up front. Where the system really helped Chelsea was in keeping possession. Before, the centre backs were struggling to play out from the back and the midfield had nobody to drop deep and link the play.
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What having three centre-backs did, firstly, was present more options to the defender on the ball. There’s three players back there now, spread out, and at the very least they can move the ball between them when pressed.
Instead of Kante being charged with collecting the ball, it was Matic who dropped a little deeper in this system. With good numbers (three centre-backs and two central midfielders) centrally, Chelsea were able to maintain possession much easier.
Matic looked far more comfortable playing this role than he did previously. He looked more comfortable than Kante did prior, too. He’s not necessarily the solution, Matic, but he’ll certainly do for now. In turn, Kante was given more freedom to roam and effect the game.
Beforehand, the biggest problems tactically were in defense and maintaining possession. In those areas, Chelsea were much improved. Those problems are not fixed now, but they are patched up. The leak is under control, at least.
Offensively, the team stuttered a bit. That will need ironing out moving forward, as will a few other things. But even the offense began to click more during the second half. It just takes time.
Hazard and Willian need to adapt to playing more centrally. Costa needs to figure out how to be more involved as the striker in this system. Alonso needs to be more of a threat on the left. Although on the opposite flank, Moses did perform well on the right.
Overall it went well for a first audition. Sterner tests against Leicester City and Manchester United are to come next. Those games will be more of a guide. But Conte is moving in the right direction with these changes.
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He doesn’t have the players to play the system that he used previously. Now, he’s got something to work with though. Something to tweak and evolve as time goes by. Conte has to stick with this formation moving forward.
The Italian was forced to make radical changes after such a mauling against Arsenal. He did that. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a step in the right direction.